Southampton were linked with a move for Anderlecht starlet Marco Kana recently and the 18-year-old could well prove to be the long-term partner for Mohammed Salisu in the Saints backline.

According to Calcio Mercato, the South Coast club are scouting Anderlecht closely and like the look of Kana, who can play as both a centre-back and a central midfielder.

The Belgian U21 international, who is currently valued at £4.05 million by Transfermarkt, already has 22 appearances under his belt for Les Mauves' first-team.

He arguably has the perfect mentor with him at the Pro League side, as they currently managed by former Manchester City defender Vincent Kompany, who won four Premier League titles during his time with the Citizens.

It has been suggested that the 34-year-old sees a lot of himself in Kana, so if he could replicate even half of what Kompany did during his time in England, then he would surely prove to be a very good signing indeed.

Should Southampton complete a move for Kana in the January transfer window, it could be argued that they already have the long-term future of their central defence sorted, following the signing of fellow youngster Salisu last summer.

The 21-year-old joined from Real Valladolid during the summer and although the Ghanaian is yet to make a first-team appearance for the Saints, he is touted for a big future with the club.

Therefore, you can definitely picture Kana alongside Salisu in the Saints team, which could spell bad news for fellow centre-back Jan Bednarek.

The Polish international has just 18 months of his contract remaining and if Salisu can establish himself as a first-team regular, potentially alongside Kana, before then, you worry whether Bednarek will have a long-term future with the South Coast side.

Whilst he has been fairly solid so far this season, having averaged a 6.78 rating for his performances in the top-flight, he has been error-prone in the past, which may lead Ralph Hasenhuttl to favour a new partnership in the future.

It will be interesting to see whether Southampton can complete a move for Kana in the coming window and how quickly the 18-year-old could establish himself as a key member of Hasenhuttl's first-team.

And, in other news... Southampton made a huge error releasing "special" centre-back wanted by Liverpool